Aging with a spring in our step and a song in our heart

The other day I heard of a music teacher in her early 60s who had given up playing the piano due to having arthritis in her hands. My first thoughts were – how young, but also, having just reacquainted myself with the joys of tinkling the ivories after some years, I felt a sadness. How sad at ANY age to have to give up on a beloved hobby due to dis-ease, which on the whole is preventable.

Many moons ago, what prompted me to explore alternative health was a “mystery virus” (Doctor’s diagnosis) which left me unable to stand or walk. I remember feeling extremely frightened and depressed by the prospect of losing my independence and not being able to pursue my two greatest passions – travel and dance.

Thankfully, by changing radically both my diet and thinking, I made a full recovery. In fact, far more. In the process, I had educated myself in what it truly means to be healthy and the efforts needed on a daily basis to enjoy that level of health for many years to come.

My grandmother died at 89 back in 1980. She didn’t have osteoporosis, arthritis, failing eyesight or hearing, four problems which seem to plague today’s society, and scarily not always that late in life.

She didn’t study health. She simply got on with the joy of living, and nature ran its course. I believe that she was the last generation to be able to do that.

Nowadays, we haven’t got the luxury of just letting Nature do its stuff. Sadly, Mother Nature is no longer 100% natural. It has been compromised by man: polluted and tampered with.

As a result, if we wish to live long, active, meaningful, and joyous lives, we really do need to take an ACTIVE role in our own health, not just now and then, but on a DAILY BASIS.

Our culture is such that we have been programmed to believe that disease is a normal consequence of growing old. Creaking joints, fractures, and reading glasses are all considered part and parcel of old age. This does not, however, have to be the case. Our bodies are not designed to suffer arthritis, or macular degeneration, or dementia in our twilight years. Our toxic food and lifestyles all contribute to this state of dis-EASE.

I heard someone recently say that we didn’t live longer; we died longer. A very sobering thought. It’s all very well prolonging life, but is it worth it if there is no quality to it?

We are advised to save for our retirement. What if we also invest in our personal health bank? A daily habit of self-care, through our eating, lifestyle and thinking can provide a bright and sunny future.

Oh Judith I love this. And I so agree with you, said she shining up her spec’s. I had this same conversation with my very fit and health conscious hairdresser today. Our conclusion sadly, was that most people don’t care, they think they can go on and on eating the rubbish they put into their bodies and there will be no consequences. Time will definitely tell, and I have to believe that people will start to educate themselves better about what they are doing, both to themselves and our planet.

Thanks Barbara. I live in hope!!! A lot of people don’t care. A lot don’t join the dots, or have the time to join the dots (let alone do anything constructive), and a lot of people think it will take too much hard work. Stress and addictive foods all have their part to play as well as media brainwashing, I agree that we need to look after ourselves and our planet for the best health possible 🙂